OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Overland Park police officers soon will be wearing body cameras after the city council approved spending more than $400,000 on Monday night for the technology.
The council gave unanimous support to outfit 200 officers and detectives with the cameras.
OPPD Chief Frank Donchez told 41 Action News in an earlier interview that all uniformed officers, along with a few detectives, will wear the cameras.
"The goal was to equip the uniform personnel who really are the ones dealing with the public 40 hours a week on their shift," the chief said in that interview. "Detectives spend a lot of time in the office, the courthouse, different things. We're going to make sure we equip all of our uniform personnel who are probably the most likely to get involved with a situation you would want captured on camera.''
The city approved the contract with Watch Guard to spend no more than $430,000 on the body cameras.
The police department already uses the company's in-car and interview cameras. Those cameras easily sync with the new body cameras, according to the chief.
OPPD hopes to have the cameras on the officers by the end of the year.
